100 years ago: A Pleasant Way to Close a Summer Day

This half-page advertisement for the Galveston-Houston Interurban ran in the June 21, 1912, edition of the Houston Chronicle.

It’s 4 p.m. and it’s hot outside. Our office worker’s thoughts turn to the beach. An hour later, he and a companion hop on the Interurban at Main and Texas. Two hours later, he’s there, swimming in the Gulf.

After a nice dinner with the sea breeze, this Houstonian is back at home before midnight. A pleasant way to close a summer day.

Interurban service from to Houston to Galveston had only been around for six months when this ad was published.

In his book, “Houston Electric: The Street Railways of Houston, Texas,” Steve Baron notes that while the railway offered a high-quality service to passengers, it struggled financially because of the debt owed on construction. The growth of automobiles didn’t help either.